Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

A layer of soft, moist cake, a layer of fresh raspberries, and a sweet cream cheese filling, topped with a cinnamon brown sugar crumb, come together easily in this delightful raspberry cream cheese coffee cake. Perfect for Mother’s Day!

Baking is my love language. I sometimes have a hard time picking out gifts, but I do make it a point to bake something for my family and friends on their birthdays or for special occasions. So, as we are approaching Mother’s Day, it reminds me of the year I came up with this raspberry cream cheese coffee cake.

I texted my mom and asked her which flavors she’d like in a baked good. I thought she was being sarcastic when she said “peanut butter and chocolate” because those are MY favorite flavors and what I typically lean towards.

She also mentioned cream cheese and fruit so I did some research and came up with this raspberry cream cheese cake.

Coffee cakes and bundt cakes are my favorite types of edible gifts. They’re humble and delicious, and easy to make. I typically teeter between a cinnamon cream cheese coffee cake and a caramel apple bundt cake, or anything with peanut butter and chocolate, but since discovering just how good this raspberry cream cheese cake is, I can’t stop at just one piece!

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour: As with any baked good, it’s important to measure flour correctly. You can measure flour without a scale if needed, just as long as you’re not using too much.
• White sugar: For sweetness.
• Salt: To round out and enhance the flavors.
• Cold butter: Cut into cubes. It needs to be kept cold to form the crumbs. Some crumbs will be used for the batter and some for the crumb topping.
• Baking powder: A leavening agent that helps to promote softness in the cake crumb.
• Milk: Turns the dry ingredients into a batter. You can use whatever kind of milk you have on hand.
• Eggs: You’ll need some for the cake and for the cream cheese filling. Bring them out to room temperature.
• Vanilla extract: For delicious flavor!
• Cream cheese: Bring this out to room temperature about 40 minutes early so it’ll be soft when you need to cream it.
• Lemon zest: From a single lemon. This will help brighten up the cream cheese filling.
• Fresh raspberries: Washed, picked over, and completely dried. You don’t want any extra water getting into the cake or filling layer.
• Brown sugar and cinnamon: To be added to the crispy buttery crumb topping!

How to make Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

1. Step One: Whisk the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl and use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour mixture until coarse crumbs are formed. Reserve a cup of those crumbs, combine with brown sugar and cinnamon, and set that aside.

2. Step Two: To the remaining crumbs in the bowl, add the baking powder, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes on medium speed. Pour the mixture into the prepared 9×13 baking dish and spread it evenly. Sprinkle raspberries evenly over the top.

3. Step Three: In a separate large bowl (or clean the one you just used), beat the cream cheese, egg, sugar, and lemon zest on medium until smooth. Pour the cream cheese filling over the berries and cake and use a spatula to gently spread it out.

4. Step Four: Sprinkle the reserved brown sugar and cinnamon crumb mixture overtop.

5. Step Five: Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 45 minutes and let cool on a wire rack before slicing. Enjoy!

How to serve it

There’s nothing like a slice of coffee cake and a hot cup of tea or coffee as an afternoon snack. This is also the perfect dessert to have with a glass of chilled white wine or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Or both!

Storage & Reheating

How to store leftovers

Store leftovers covered in an airtight container. Because of the cream cheese layer, I like to store it in the fridge. It is best within 4-5 days.

Freezing Instructions

When wrapped tightly in plastic wrap in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container, it can be kept fresh for up to one month. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and then bring it to room temperature before serving.

5 from 1 vote

Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Created by Melissa Williams

Servings: 15 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 45 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr

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This raspberry cream cheese coffee cake layers moist cake, tart raspberries, and a sweet cream cheese filling under a buttery cinnamon crumb topping. A beautiful bake for brunch or holidays!

Ingredients

 

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For the Cake Layer

• ▢ 2 ⅓ cups all purpose flour
• ▢ 1 ⅓ cups granulated white sugar
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¾ cup cold butter cubed
• ▢ 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ ¾ cup milk
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Cream Cheese Filling

• ▢ 8 ounces cream cheese at room temp
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons granulated white sugar
• ▢ zest of a lemon
• ▢ 1 ½ cups fresh raspberries

For the Crumb Topping

• ▢ 1 cup reserved crumb mixture
• ▢ ⅓ cup brown sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13 baking dish. Set aside.

For the cake layer

• In a large bowl, add the flour, sugar, and salt. Whisk together. Use a pastry cutter to cut in the butter until you have coarse crumbs. Remove one cup of the crumbs and set aside for the topping.
  2 ⅓ cups all purpose flour, 1 ⅓ cups granulated white sugar, ¾ teaspoon salt, ¾ cup cold butter
• To the remaining crumb mixture, add in the baking powder, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on medium for two minutes. Pour the mixture into your prepared baking dish and spread evenly. Set aside.
  2 teaspoons baking powder, ¾ cup milk, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the cream cheese filling

• In a large bowl, add the cream cheese, egg, sugar, and lemon zest. Use an electric mixer to beat on medium until smooth.
  8 ounces cream cheese, 1 large egg, 2 Tablespoons granulated white sugar, zest of a lemon
• Evenly sprinkle the raspberries into the baking dish on top of the cake layer. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the berries and gently spread it out evenly with a spatula.
  1 ½ cups fresh raspberries

For the crumb topping

• To the reserved crumb mixture, add the brown sugar and cinnamon. Whisk together and sprinkle over the cream cheese layer.
  1 cup reserved crumb mixture, ⅓ cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool on a cooling rack before slicing.

Notes

• You can use other fruits like blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, peaches, or cherries instead of raspberries.
• Batter will be thicker than usual cake batter — that’s normal!
• Check for doneness with a toothpick; it should come out clean from the center.
• Add a vanilla glaze on top for extra sweetness and a nice finish.
• Makes about 15 servings (or fewer if cutting larger slices).
• Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge (due to cream cheese).
• Best enjoyed within 4–5 days.
• Freeze for up to 1 month.

⭐️ Final Step! Please let me know how you liked this recipe by leaving a review and rating below. Your feedback supports my small business and allows me to continue providing free, high quality recipes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 327kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 268mg | Potassium: 154mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 565IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Originally published April 28, 2016; photos and text updated May 9, 2025

In addition to this cake, I packed up a Hallmark card and this Tree of Life necklace, and Julia and I spent the day with my mom and grandma for a semi-early Mother’s Day celebration.

Sometimes when I’m sitting in a room with the four of us it blows my mind to see and think of four generations. Julia and I are so fortunate to have them in our lives.

I would be lost without my family. My mom quit her job after I had Julia so that she could watch her while I work. I go to her house for lunch every day so I can spend some time with both of them and many days my grandma is there, too. I’m so fortunate to have that set-up.

Hopefully this necklace is a reminder to my mom of how much I appreciate her and everything she does for our family.